William j



(No Model.)

' W. J.'SUMNER.

STEP LADDER AND GUIDING TROLLEY THEREFGR.

No. 528,824. Patented Nov. 6, 1894.

I ([1111] l 1 4/ 2 I ///1/1 D I I Unirno STATES PATENT ()FFICE.

WILLIAM J. SUMNER, OF HOLYOKE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THE COBURN TROLLEY TRACK MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF SAME I PLACE.

STEP-LADDER AND GUlDING-TROLLEY THEREFOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 528,82 t, dated'November 6,1894. Application filed May 8, 1894. Serial No. 510,546. on model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM J. SUMNER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Holyoke, in the county of Hampden and State of ladder to push or draw the ladder so that he may, without descending, reach any tier of shelves within the traverse of the ladder.

The object of this invention is to provide a trolley, or carrier, with which the ladder is connected, that is of simplified and unusually efficient construction, and which, while having the freest possible running engagement with the round bar which constitutes the trolley track, will prevent any lateral or transversal displacement of the carriage from the track, and to furthermore effect such a connection between the ladder and carrier that the ladder may stand either in an out of-theway disposition vertically at the front of the shelves, or at any downward and forward inclination at the front thereof.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a side view of the ladder and carriage as in engagement with the track which is seen in cross section. Fig. 2 is a rear view of the ladder and track, and vertical sectional view of the bracket pieces, or lugs, which support the track. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view on the line 33, taken on a larger scale.

In carrying out the invention, the track is preferably constituted by a bar, a, of straight wood, round in cross section, and held in its horizontal position in front of the upper portions of the shelves by suitable brackets, or lugs, b, whose connection is had in such a way as not to embrace, or surround, the trackbar, but to leave its top and bottom even and clear of obstructions.

The brackets may be constituted by blocks of wood against the outer-edges of which the ,track is set, while screws pass through the track, and said block and into the shelving, as seen in Fig. 3. The corners'of the bracketblocks next to the track are chamfered off as seen at 12 so as not to unnecessarily obstruct the track-way.

The carriage, D,- comprises two parallel bars, (1, (l, to lie along the rear edges, of the opposite ladder sides, 00, the diagonal tie-bars, or trusses, f, f, which are bolted to and unite the said bars, and upper and lower pairs of rollers, g, g, and h, h, which are'supported on roller studs, z, of said bars, d, and which have transversely curved and flanged rims to embrace the track-bar to run freely along the latter, and to permit a transverse swinging of the carriage without cramping its freedom of travel along the track.

In order that the laddermay have its inclination, or the vertical disposition,which different positions are shown or indicated in Fig. 1,-its connection with the ladder is such that, while it may always receive supportby the rollers at its bottom, which rest on the floor, it may have a degree of slide movement relative to the parallel bars, d, d, of the carriage, and yet the latter can never accidentally get away from the carriage, although the disengagement may be purposely effected, as required.

The sliding engagement of the bars of the carriage relative to the side members of the ladder is effected by means of the metallic plates, j, which are screwed, or otherwise af-.

one flange, 9 to overlie a portion of the outer or front face of the track, while each concaverimmed roller of the lower pair has but one flange, h which overlies a portion of the rear face of the track.

By the formation and arrangement of the rollers of the carriage, substantially as described and shown, in combination with the ladder having the manner of engagement with the carriage as set forth and illustrated, the ladder, (with its bottom by its rollers, m,

always at rest on the floor,) may have either the vertical out-of-the-way position seen in full lines, in Fig. 1, or any suitable inclined position, it always retaining its same relation to the carriage, which latter while having a lateral swinging engagement with the track may not be disengaged therefrom, although in whatever position, or inclination, the ladder and carriage are the latter will always run most freely and without cramp, bind, or undue friction along the track.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination with the round track, a, of the carriage having, at its side, upper and lower pairs of rollers with flanges which overlie the oppositesides of the track, and the ladder having a sliding engagement with the carriage and provided at its bottom with rollers, substantially as described.

2. The combination with the round track, a,

p of the carriage consisting of the upright bars,

d, d, with the studs, t', '5, and the uniting cross braces, f, f, the rollers, g, g, and 71,71, mounted on said studs and having flanges which embrace the track at opposite sides, the ladder arranged with the rear edges of its sides against the said carriage uprights, and the plates, 3', with angle lugs, j*, which hold said bars and ladder sides against separation, substantially as described.-

3. The combination with the casing, or su pport, having the forwardly extending bracket lugs, 12, b, of the roundtrack-bar and the screws passing transversely through said bar and into the bracket lugs, the carriage comprising the upright bars, cl, d, and the crossbraces, fif, and rearwardly mounted flanged rollers which embrace the track, the ladder and means for holding the same to sliding engagement with the carriage, substantially as described.

l. The combination with the upright bars, (1, (Z, with the rearwardly projected shouldered roller studs, the cross-braces f,f, uniting said bars, d, d, and the rollers set on said studs and having the concave rims with the flanges, g and 7713, of the round track, I), the ladder and means for holding the ladder to sliding engagement with the said bars, ql, (Z, of the carriage, substantially as described.

WILLIAM J. SUMNER.

Witnesses:

WM. S. BnLLoWs, K. I. CLEMONS. 

